1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a method of preparing optical fiber with low polarization dependence for use in acousto-optic applications, and, more particularly, to an acousto-optic filter employing such a fiber to reduce polarization-dependent loss (PDL) in the filter.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As an optical signal traverses an optical network, the signal is subject to losses and nonlinear effects that result in signal attenuation and distortion. Amplifiers, such as erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (“EDFA's”), are typically placed approximately every 80 kilometers along an optical fiber to boost signal strength. However, such amplifiers impose their own distortions on the signal power spectral distribution (as a function of wavelength). One of the major distortions is caused by the non-uniform gain profile (as a function of wavelength) of the amplifiers, which imposes a non-uniform spectral distribution on the amplified signals. It is especially important in wavelength division multiplexed (“WDM”) networks to maintain a uniform spectral distribution across all channels.
Static filters are often used to attenuate the signal power as a function of wavelength to achieve a substantially uniform power distribution. Static filters, however, cannot adapt to dynamically changing conditions such as amplifier aging, temperature variations, channel add/drop, fiber loss and other changes in components along the transmission line. Moreover, the required filter shape is dependent upon system configuration e.g. the spacing between amplifiers. Static filter characteristics cannot be modified to compensate for these changes without replacing the filter itself.
To overcome these problems, it is known in the art to employ dynamic wavelength tunable filters to flatten or equalize the signal spectrum, as well as to obtain any desired spectral shape. One such filter is an all-fiber acousto-optic tunable filter (“AOTF”) described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,379, entitled “Acousto-optic filter,” which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. As described in the patent, the all-fiber AOTF is a multiple notch filter, with a transfer function characterized by notch depth and center frequency (or wavelength).
One problem with the all-fiber AOTF is that the effect of the filter on light in the fiber is polarization dependent. For example, although the filter may attempt to place a notch at one desired center frequency, the notch will effectively be placed at a different center frequency for each polarization splitting one notch into two. The relative frequency shift between the polarization-dependent notches causes a difference between the transmissions of the different polarizations through the filter as a function of frequency, which results in a polarization-dependent loss in the filter. It is desired to reduce the polarization dependence of light in optical fiber, and to thereby reduce PDL in an all-fiber AOTF.